Ormoc City marks 120th Philippines Independence Day

ORMOC CITY, Philippines —  An estimated 15,000 people from Ormoc City’s 109 barangays, the city and national government offices, and representatives from non-government and civic organizations, joined yesterday’s parade, celebrating the 120th Philippine Independence Day.

The parade, which lasted for about two hours, started with a program at the city public stage, led by Mayor Richard Gomez, his wife Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez (4th district, Leyte), and city officials.

The mayor and the congresswoman, in their messages, emphasized that this year’s Independence Day is not only significant to the country, but also for Ormoc in having regained its freedom from the clutches of a drug syndicate.

Mayor Gomez said Ormoc, this year, is celebrating its being the first city to be declared “drug cleared” and being ranked as the “safest city in the country” for 2017 and the first quarter of 2018.

“We are celebrating the 120th Independence Day. We have to cherish this, we have to remember this, and have to celebrate this,” including the city’s achievements, he said.

The Independence Day rites ended with the barangay officials attending the Barangay Day at the Ormoc Superdome, where 88-year-old lawyer Mariano Corro, the outgoing Liga ng Barangay president, was conferred with honors for his many years of service to the city that included his being a city councilor many times over.

Corro took the event as an opportunity for him to say goodbye to the newly elected and re-elected barangay chairmen, as he bows out of public service.

Mayor Gomez lauded Corro’s “impeccable service,” saying that they might have been on the opposite sides of the political fence, but “Atty. Corro gave us his best and helped us” in the task of leading the city.